I was in Minneapolis last month for a conference and I had one free day to explore the city. Read further to see what I did!

Shop on Nicollet Mall

Nicollet Mall is in the center of downtown. It’s a mile-long street that cars are restricted from. The street is lined with restaurants and shops, including the flagship Target store. You can also see the beloved Mary Tyler Moore statue. There were several restaurants that had outdoor seating, which would’ve been perfect on the beautiful day I was there.

Walk around and see all the sky bridges

One of my favorite things to do around a new city is walk. You see so much more than you would if you were to Uber or take public transportation. I noticed all the sky bridges connecting the buildings that my colleagues had told me about. Minneapolis gets VERY cold in the winter and the sky bridges allow pedestrians to still walk without setting foot outside!

See where the Minnesota Vikings play

I made my way down to the US Bank Stadium, where Minneapolis’s NFL Team plays. The stadium was designed to look like a Vikings ship, and I can see it!

Walk/run/bike the Stone Arch Bridge

My next stop was the Stone Arch Bridge. This was recommended to me by several locals and is a must-see site in Minneapolis. The bridge crosses the Mississippi River and is entirely made of stone. It was built as a railroad bridge in the 1800s to move goods across the river. Today, only pedestrians and bikes can cross this way to get a scenic view of the river and skyline. There are also several trails in the parks on either side of the river that looked like a great place to get some exercise. Along these trails and the bridge, you can see the ruins of several abandoned flour mills by the river.

Dinner at 112 Eatery

112 Eatery is an Italian restaurant with delicious food and wine. I ordered the tagliatelle with foie gras meatballs. It was so good! The eatery doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the inside is quaint and romantic with candles and dim lighting. I ate here with my colleagues but would gladly bring my boyfriend back with me next time!

I liked the atmosphere of Minneapolis very much. Although I didn’t have much time here to explore, I feel like I really got to see the downtown.